6 ms·

They could start with making sure atleast major Linux distros work fine on Apple desktop and laptop hardware. It would most likely be hw specific quirks and dr

They could start with making sure atleast major Linux distros work fine on Apple desktop and laptop hardware. It would most likely be hw specific quirks and drivers given most of the hardware they use is standard and already supported by Linux. (With Intel building in their Wi-Fi chips even Broadcom wireless stuff won't be an issue.)

feld 10y ago
This has nothing to do with their desire to use open source. In fact, it's blatantly against their goals.
- blinkingled 10y ago
  Well most of Apple's servers and services run on Linux and there is clearly a demand for Linux laptops from developers. If Apple has to be friendly with OSS supporting Linux will take them a long way - good for developers including Apple's own services/infrastructure folk, broadens up the Workstation market again for Apple etc. Doubling down on Open Source is not really doubling down if you just continue to dump code on github.
  - feld 10y ago
    I think your definition of open source is much different than mine. Requiring cooperation or interaction with the community is very GNU / GPL mindset, not BSD. Many of us are perfectly OK with code drops.
drivingmenuts 10y ago
Why is it Apple's responsibility to ensure Linux runs on it's hardware? Shouldn't the major responsibility fall on Linux user's shoulders?
- blinkingled 10y ago
  Because only Apple knows best about their hardware and there's a market for that. Apple also support Windows via Boot Camp - without that Windows would not be any more functional than say Ubuntu. It isn't like we are talking about full Linux port to their hardware - Apple's hardware deviates from standards for example - Linux people don't really have a way of knowing that. Only Apple could provide the glue required to enable those type of things.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >Because only Apple knows best about their hardware and there's a market for that. Apparently it's a market that has never heard of the notion "opportunity cost".
    - blinkingled 10y ago
      Apple also is about creating new markets. They have so far consistently supported Windows too and that's also a market now - it wasn't so in the beginning.
      - maxtudof 10y ago
        What? Windows was huge even before macOS so supporting it was a good choice. On other hand how many people will buy MacBook just to install Linux? Where you can literally make the same things on macOS if you don't remember it's still good old UNIX system? Making changes to support few hundred or fewer users who want Linux in a “nice package” is shooting itself in the foot. From a business perspective it simply does not pay. And what is Apple? Big money-oriented business. If you have a business and want to please everyone you will fall, it's just that simple. They make money on users who don't even know what Finder is and rest so called “pros” should just don't give a fuck and use it as they usually do...
bluejekyll 10y ago
Does it have to be Linux? Could instead be something like this: http://www.gnu-darwin.org/ http://www.gnu-darwin.org/ That project looks dead, but essentially, it would be XNU paired with GNU, operating similarly to Linux (Though you'd still end up with MACH-O binaries instead of ELF). Honestly though, I find the Unix inside Apple to be more than enough for my general needs, and VMs step in where it is not. Also, iTerm2 is still better than anything I've used in Linux. I work in both Linux and macOS every day, Mac is still a better experience.

feld 10y ago

This has nothing to do with their desire to use open source. In fact, it's blatantly against their goals.

blinkingled 10y ago
Well most of Apple's servers and services run on Linux and there is clearly a demand for Linux laptops from developers. If Apple has to be friendly with OSS supporting Linux will take them a long way - good for developers including Apple's own services/infrastructure folk, broadens up the Workstation market again for Apple etc. Doubling down on Open Source is not really doubling down if you just continue to dump code on github.
- feld 10y ago
  I think your definition of open source is much different than mine. Requiring cooperation or interaction with the community is very GNU / GPL mindset, not BSD. Many of us are perfectly OK with code drops.

drivingmenuts 10y ago

Why is it Apple's responsibility to ensure Linux runs on it's hardware? Shouldn't the major responsibility fall on Linux user's shoulders?

blinkingled 10y ago
Because only Apple knows best about their hardware and there's a market for that. Apple also support Windows via Boot Camp - without that Windows would not be any more functional than say Ubuntu. It isn't like we are talking about full Linux port to their hardware - Apple's hardware deviates from standards for example - Linux people don't really have a way of knowing that. Only Apple could provide the glue required to enable those type of things.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >Because only Apple knows best about their hardware and there's a market for that. Apparently it's a market that has never heard of the notion "opportunity cost".
  - blinkingled 10y ago
    Apple also is about creating new markets. They have so far consistently supported Windows too and that's also a market now - it wasn't so in the beginning.
    - maxtudof 10y ago
      What? Windows was huge even before macOS so supporting it was a good choice. On other hand how many people will buy MacBook just to install Linux? Where you can literally make the same things on macOS if you don't remember it's still good old UNIX system? Making changes to support few hundred or fewer users who want Linux in a “nice package” is shooting itself in the foot. From a business perspective it simply does not pay. And what is Apple? Big money-oriented business. If you have a business and want to please everyone you will fall, it's just that simple. They make money on users who don't even know what Finder is and rest so called “pros” should just don't give a fuck and use it as they usually do...

bluejekyll 10y ago

Does it have to be Linux? Could instead be something like this: http://www.gnu-darwin.org/ http://www.gnu-darwin.org/ That project looks dead, but essentially, it would be XNU paired with GNU, operating similarly to Linux (Though you'd still end up with MACH-O binaries instead of ELF). Honestly though, I find the Unix inside Apple to be more than enough for my general needs, and VMs step in where it is not. Also, iTerm2 is still better than anything I've used in Linux. I work in both Linux and macOS every day, Mac is still a better experience.